


Countermeasures

by Lawfuless



Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-03 03:45:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5275253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawfuless/pseuds/Lawfuless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Batman claimed he had countermeasures for everyone, but had never planned to prove just how far he'd have to go to prove it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Countermeasures

**Author's Note:**

> I only own the characterizations and the idea. Was inspired by DCU Online when the Bat Computer is being hacked. It's revealed that Batman does indeed have countermeasures for Doctor Fate. ....Never did say what they could be, though.

The idea was that everyone had a weakness, and if things went wrong, it could be exploited to stop them from causing more damage. For Superman, there was Kryptonite, for Manhunter, there was fire. He'd planned each and every contingency as a 'just in case' for everyone in the league.

But he hadn't been prepared to have to utilize any on that particular day. Instead, he'd had to use two.

He was getting ahead of himself. He had to rewind a bit. Go back to the start.... find out where it had all went wrong.

* * *

The mission had been a success. Faust was back behind bars, and Fate was content that the artifact he had stolen was back into the safe hands.

As he hovered off to the side, inspecting the tome, Batman approached the mystic. "So, what is it?" he asked carefully, tilting his head.

The man settled and slipped off his helm. Kent Nelson knew him well enough that he was comfortable enough to separate himself from Nabu, revealing the man beneath. "This is the Tome of Hecate. Within it, supposedly, is the spirit of the Goddess. Any woman who reads from this will gain the spirit on their side. But any man who attempts to utilize it, unless she herself has trained them, will become corrupt by the black magic contained within."

"That sounds rather dangerous... Are you sure you can entrust it to Zatanna?" Bruce questioned, looking at it with faint concern.

Doctor Fate made no statement either way, but nodded gravely. He trusted her. Instead, he focused on wrapping the book up though it was quickly flung from his hands with a shot of magic.

His eyes widened before he grabbed his helm and slid it on as quickly as possible, firing back with a burst of light.

The Goddess Circe floated down, looking full of rage. "That belongs to me! You, who dare use the power of the Gods.... You know not what you may touch." she snapped.

"An interesting sentiment, considering you were cast out, Goddess." Nabu taunted, and Kent chuckled quietly.

She gave a cry and flung magic bolts at him before turning nearby dock workers into her slaves to attack Fate. Batman helped the good doctor to knock them out, and then turned on her, but it was too late. She held the book, laughing madly.

As she opened it, Kent flung out his hand, and took the book back with a carefully made portal to his own hand. But as he looked down, he glanced at the words on the page.

Suddenly, there was a flash, and there was an unfamiliar figure before Batman. A Helm made of obsidian, wearing robes in a black with a belt sash of red. It looked like Fate had gone to the dark side, eyes glowing demonically.

Circe looked horrified, which told Bruce how badly things had gone. Suddenly he was being thrown back, and found himself on the Watch tower.

He stared back at the corrupt magi as the dark purple portal slid shut.

* * *

"Fate's gone rogue, and we've got nothing that could stop him." Zatanna admitted, sighing.

Slowly, Batman sighed, standing and heading to one of the walls. "I know a way we can stop him."

The others looked to him. "And you're only just now telling us.... why?" Flash asked, looking at him like he was insane.

"Because it could kill the vessel, the spirit, or both."

There was a pause before Superman stood. "What's the idea?"

"You can't be--" began the protest from the speedster.

The man of steel held up a finger. "I want to know the options before we decide." he assured the other.

Bruce pulled out a device, pulling up plans. "I have countermeasures for everything, in case one of us goes rogue. I had one prepared for both Fate and Kent separately. We found out that Flash hitting him on the helm will disorient him to the point of being unable to do anything. I know the warding keeps the helm on his head, so we may need to have Zatanna perform a ritual to decay that warding. As well, if we can even slightly lift the helm, that breaks majority of the control of Fate on Kent. Considering his abilities are tied in to the artifact, we can also use gas to knock him out, which will let us get rid of the rest of the warding. At that point, I have a box with warding that will disable any artifact put inside of it. That will keep Fate from escaping. And then warded handcuffs will keep Kent from using his magic. We'd need Superman and Aquaman to watch him."

A faint head tilt from the Kryptonian. "It sounds feasible. But how is there a threat to them both?" he asked, rubbing at his jaw.

Batman tapped first at the picture of the Helm. "If the spirit from the book- Hecate- is in control of them both, at the disconnect, it may jump into the helm and shove itself into the helm, forcing Nabu out."

"If the spirit goes towards Kent, there will be a fight for control, which could harm him mentally, physically, or spiritually. Odds are, his soul would be ejected by the spirit, and he would be possessed. By that point we'd have to find out where his soul went, if it's retrievable, and if not what we do then. Because if we can't get his soul back, forcing Hecate from his body will put him in a coma or kill him."

That started to make the situation look very bleak.

"Finally, if the soul has connected to both of them, separating them would force them into extreme agony and draw all three souls together. Which would result in death, or an amalgamated soul that is constantly struggling for dominance for itself. If they were trapped in Kent, he would become comatose or go insane, or end up thrashing around until death. If they were locked in the helm, the body would most likely die unless put on life support. Anyone who puts on the helm would probably end up insane, and separation would become impossible. And finally, if they're drawn out of both body and helm, the body would die if not on life support, but the souls would essentially be sent off to oblivion because they count as three people in one."

That perhaps sound the worst of all, and Flash shook his head. "We can't do that."

Zatanna looked disheartened. "It's our only choice. There isn't anyone powerful enough to take on the combined magic of three magi, let alone two gods, one of which being the Goddess of Magic." She looked to Batman. "I'll do it. Any chance we can take him out before he hurts anyone... We have no confirmed deaths, but we also have at least one hundred and twenty-three missing villains unaccounted for. We have to do this. No matter the risk. I know Fate wouldn't let this continue if it were us, so we have to stop him."

* * *

 The dark knight decided that, perhaps that moment was when things began to go wrong. The accepting of the plan against Doctor Fate.

He would come to regret it. ...But, he would digress, that still hadn't come yet. Back to the story.

* * *

The magi was spotted in the prison, and they made it just in time to find the robed figure in the process of opening the door to a prisoner's cell. Felix Faust was dragged out, lifted up to the now taller figure's helmed face. " _You know, I really must thank you for this whole 'setting me free' bit. You worked well, slave. But now.... you have something I require._ " The voice was an uncertain mix. It held three distinct voices which spoke at once. The first spoke with a British accent, seemed to be masculine, but was softer than the other two. Barely there. Kent. The second was a deeper voice that echoed in the background. Masculine, commanding, but also rather subdued. Nabu. The final was the most audible. Feminine, drawling and low in a threatening fashion. Hecate, most likely.

"Flash, go. Keep out of sight, though, or else they'll see what you'll do." Batman commanded. "Zatanna, prepare the spell."

As the magi began the long incantation, Barry bounced forwards and rushed towards the figure. He quickly began beating his fists on the helm, causing the godly being to drop Felix. The second he stopped, the other gave a cry of pain, pressing hands to the helm in an effort to stop the ringing, and stumbled before collapsing to their knees.

Zatanna rushed forwards with the others, and finished the spell. Within seconds, Superman grabbed the artifact, pulling it off part of the way. The effects were instant, and Kent returned to the Doctor Fate attire. He was still gassed, however, and cuffed. The helm was then fully removed and then tossed into the box that Bruce had brought along, sealing it within.

When the blond came to- within the grasp of Arthur and Clark, in the medical bay of the prison- he immediately struggling, blinking blearily. "What in the-- Ngh?" he paused, seemingly recognizing them, and then slumped. He seemed to be distracted for a minute, then groaned. "I read the book, didn't I?" he sighed.

They unlocked the cuffs, and he fluffed his hair a bit, taking in the white-washed room. Slowly, he headed to the box. "...May I?" he inquired. When it was opened, he took off his pendent and pressed it to the helm as he brought it out. He then put the amulet back on and slid on the helm, startling the group. His attire shifted, but his attitude didn't seem affected.

"...I see... Mhm... Yes, well-- No, you don't need to-- ....I'm fine. Though, you must be... Ah. I see... Then...?" He seemed to be visibly upset by whatever was happening in the mental discussion. He began pacing, then took of the helm, turning to the others as his clothing became casual wear.

"During the removal, Hecate was pulled between us... like an elastic band. And when it let go on my side, the force shoved her into the Helm, and Nabu was ejected. He's... dead. And gone, to wherever Gods go when they have no place left. There are.... Shards. Of him. Within the Amulet. ...I'll need to do some work on this... see if I can't get Nabu back together and within the Helm of Fate. In terms of Hecate, she apologizes. Being contained within a book isn't really very fun. However, she'd like for you to know the people she took are within the tower and are safe and fine. There were a few tears in the veil left behind from the last catastrophe, and these heroes and villains got too close and as a result were pulled in. She dragged them to the tower and fixed the holes where she could."

The group relaxed, glad to know everything was alright.

Kent turned to Batman, offering a weak smile. "Thanks for, erm... well, attacking me and knocking me out." he chuckled, shaking his head. "Glad to know someone knows what they're doing. However... what happened to Faust?"

* * *

As it turned out, Felix Faust had escaped. In fact, he had escaped with shards of Nabu, and fashioned himself his own Helm of Fate with the power the God's soul contained. And while Kent worked on getting Nabu back together and Hecate to her own, Felix caused a mess as 'Doctor Fate'.

Perhaps his biggest mistake was forgetting the villain. If he had just been thinking...

In the end, Hecate and Kent took on Nabu and Faust. Nabu was truly killed, Felix was re-imprisoned, and Hecate was bound to the helm while Kent became the first man to wield the Goddess' powers. Over all, a somewhat positive ending... But also the new beginning. For Doctor Fate was no more.

But Mistress Magic was certainly alive and kicking.

Bruce Wayne edited the information on Fate while Kent sat nearby, assisting with the update all the while changing himself back, grumbling in between all the while about how 'At least Nabu didn't change his gender at will and give him fashion advice'.

His countermeasures wouldn't always work... but at least this time things had gone somewhat positively, with some good ends to be had.


End file.
